The Effect of Dietary Fiber on Asthma Through Cytokine Production

Asthma is a chronic disease that harms both adults and children, causing symptoms such as debilitating shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and in severe cases, even death. There is no cure for asthma, only therapies that can help control asthma symptoms. One significant, under-examined possibility for a supplement to these therapies is dietary fiber. Dietary fiber, found in various everyday foods including grains, fruits, and vegetables, can maintain gut health and a balanced gut micro-biome, which improves the body's immune system and overall health. This paper will review evidence for the relationships between asthma and dietary fiber -specifically how dietary fiber could be used as a supplementary therapy. One of the byproducts of the fermentation of dietary fiber are short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). One significant function of SCFAs is that they can regulate the production of cytokines. This review paper will examine the benefits of dietary fiber on asthma through SCFA production and the resulting decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines and increase in anti-inflammatory cytokine. This paper will reveal gaps in knowledge in which clinicians may examine how diet can affect inflammatory diseases like asthma.